Black Sweat
by LittleMissSnark
Summary: There was a full moon in the sky that night. Nick Stokes knew that the full moon always brought out the crazies, yet what he got was so much more than that...This is my first story! COMPLETE!
1. Night Out

Disclaimer: No...I don't own it. Yes..sometimes in the dark corners of my mind I wish I did -.

Hi everyone..this is my first story! You're welcome to read and review how you like, as I'm always looking for new ways to improve! Have fun with this one: My inspiration came from catching Prince on MTV...

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Chapter 1- Night Out 

There was a full moon in the sky that night. Nick Stokes knew that the full moon always brought out the crazies, yet what he got was so much more than that.

Nick sighed as his work-issued Denali crept along the busy Strip. Normally he'd be taking his time off with a basketball game and a nice burger, but he'd made special plans with a friend from out of town. With two solid weeks of hot cases, Nick wasn't in much of a partying mood. It didn't help that his college buddy, Jay, recommended that Nick should meet him at Rain in the Palms. Not only was it one of the most popular clubs on the Strip, but it was a fairly strong twenty-something hangout and Nick felt a bit out of place.

_This is just like Jay_, Nick thought, _Never passing up an opportunity to score with barely legal girls._

After wandering around for nearly half an hour in a fruitless search, Nick finally parallel parked the Denali in an alleyway and sauntered up to the entrance of the casino. He quickly scanned the room, straightening out his white collared shirt and dark slacks. He spotted Jay hitting on girls who looked no older than 17 and called out his name. Jay's looks screamed former party boy-turned-corporate, and his blonde hair was slicked back like a game show host. Nick couldn't help but laugh as he saw his friend half-gallop, half jog to him with exuberance.

"Nick! My man! It's been a long time!" Jay walked up to Nick and slapped him on his back in the old frat boy style.

"Yes, yes it has." Nick smiled as he remembered the last time he and Jay went out. They were barely 25 and the next morning he found Jay halfway down a hotel laundry chute. Recently, Nick had felt out of the loop on the whole bachelor life, and being with Jay gave him a renewed sense of youth.

"Hey, Nick, buddy, I'm sorry to tell you, but we're going to a **night club**, not church. If you want to score all the fly honeys, you gotta stop dressing like my grandpa." Jay chuckled.

"Dude, fine, it's your call," Nick ran his hands through his chestnut hair and unbuttoned three buttons on his shirt, "But why Rain? Man, there is no way we can get in here tonight, it's jammed—"

"Bro," Jay interrupted "I've got it in with the manager! We're already on the list! You ready for the night of your life?"

"Let the games begin." Nick said in earnest. The night was young, the moon was high, and Nick Stokes was on the prowl.

CSICSICSICSI

Jay was right, they were on the list. Nick was right, too, as they were both immersed in a sea of coeds. The music was thumping loud, and the throbbing bass of "Tainted Love" could be felt in the background of the rap music spun by the DJ. The men both shuffled their way through the swarming crowd, spying an empty VIP booth in the back amid the blinding lights.

"He said we could take one of these!" Jay yelled

"What?" Nick couldn't hear a damn thing with the music

"The manager! He said we could take a quiet booth!" Jay screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Awesome!" Nick yelled as soon as the music died down. Every single college student within a 10 foot radius glared at him, and he could only shoot a sheepish smile. Nick felt like an elephant at a lion's watering hole. Like a moth in a colony of butterflies. There were a million Discovery Channel analogies about his dire situation running through his mind as he and Jay snuck to the back and ordered beers. Nick buried his head in his hands and breathed through his embarrassment. He was a scientist, not a party boy, and despite a few hardcore college events, the only time he ever club-hopped was with old friends. He felt rusty, and a sudden urge to turn his A-game back on coursed through his body. It felt too long, and time wasn't doing him any favors.

"So, Nicky boy, any fine chicks at the lab you wanna tell me about?" Jay smirked.

"I haven't had time for chicks." Nick lied. He'd been playful with a few girls around the lab, and he was semi-interested in one. But, as far as he knew, she never cared much for him, so he never pressed the issue. Jay sipped his beer and gave him an incredulous look.

"You need a girl in your life my man, someone to hold you down," Jay said.

"Wow…since when did you become the expert on relationships, man? Last time you had a steady girlfriend we were still barely making rent in Texas," Nick joked as he took a swig of beer. Not untrue to form, every time Nick heard from Jay, he had a new girlfriend. And, also not a surprise, she was blonder, skinnier, and tanner than the previous one. He always thought it was hilarious every year at Christmas time when he would get a card from Jay, there'd be another picture of a twenty-something dressed like Santa's little helper. And always, holding Jenny/Candi/Karen/Micki's waist would be Jay, smiling like a cheap bail bondsman. Nick could never get over the fact that though Jay got older, the girls stayed the same.

"Touché my friend, but I'm serious. A little tail in your life won't kill you. I mean, look around!" Jay made a sweeping motion with his hands, and with lighting fast reflexes swiped a few more drinks from the passing waitress. He gulped down half of his beer, scanning his eyes over the crowd of hot, sweaty girls in miniskirts and crop tops. Dancing seductively, it seemed that an entire sorority exploded onto a dance floor looking for Mr. Right (Or Mr. Right-Now, Nick couldn't tell). "There are loads of hot girls waiting to be picked up by a handsome young Texan." Jay stated as he slapped Nick on the shoulder in acknowledgment. Handsome he could go with, but _young_? Nick suddenly felt like he should be at home, taking his Metamucil in defeat.

"I don't know though, these girls aren't really my style." Truthfully, he wasn't sure if any girl was his style. Since Kristy Hopkins, there didn't seem to be a decent relationship anywhere. And, after the "Grave Incident," as the polite folk call it, Nick didn't know if he had the ability to start that kind of relationship with a new girl. It was impossible, he was impossible, to get through. He needed someone to understand him, not to just hang on his arm and look pretty. This was hopeless. Why would he look for a meaningful relationship among girls who looked like they were auditioning for_ Girls Gone Wild: LV Co-eds_?

Jay let out a long dramatic sigh and threw his hands up in the air for yet another dramatic showing of the environment around their booth.

"Then what is your style? Pick your poison, man, they're all here. You got your blondes, your brunettes, redheads. You got White chicks, Black, Latino, Asian, and incredibly sexy combinations of all of them. There's got to be a girl…."

Jay suddenly stopped his train of thought completely interrupted; his jaw dropped open and his eyes blinked in amazement.

"Dude…Jay, you okay?" Nick asked. Jay snapped out of his stupor and grabbed Nick's shoulders, turning him to face the crowd.

"Nicky boy, I think I just found the future Mrs. Stokes." Jay smiled and pointed a finger out into the crowd.

That's when Nick saw her.

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Oooh...I wonder who it could be? Find out next chap! 


	2. The One

Disclaimer: Oh the fun I would have if I actually did own them. But..they're CBS's!

Chapter Two right here! And no...this isn't a Mary Sue. I wouldn't write one of those...trust me. Have fun and send me a review!

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Chapter 2- The One

Well, he sort of saw her. With all the lights flashing around them, he could barely make her out. But, she was coming closer, at an angle in a beeline for the bar. One thing was sure : Jay was correct in his statement. This girl was the one he'd been dreaming about all his life.

She was tall, and proportioned like a goddess. She wore a tight, black, mid-thigh length mini dress with black lace overlay and sleeves. Needless to say it fit her like a dream. He hadn't seen a sexier garment in a very long time.

_I'm always a sucker for lace_ Nick thought as he scanned her body, which was becoming clearer as she turned to weave expertly through the crowd of people. Nick felt intoxicated immediately, though he had only gotten halfway through his second glass of beer. He was awed by the girl coming his direction, and began to slowly, meticulously look her over, half-expecting she was just a mirage. This girl looked too good to be true.

Her body looked flawless, thin but not stick-like. Her skin positively glowed, and, from what he could see, it was beautiful porcelain. Despite the distance, Nick instantly got the feeling that she wasn't a college student, but more mature than that. From the way she carried herself, she had the confidence of a grown woman, strong and intimidating. She was powerful, and she knew it.

She had long, toned legs that seemed to go on forever, and she was wearing gorgeous laced-up stilettos. He drew a sharp breath when his eyes roamed over her form to look into her eyes, but realized she had turned her head, giving him only an eyeful of gorgeous coffee colored curls. He gazed intently at her, waiting for her to show him her face, but she kept on walking towards the bar, seductively moving her hips in part to the music. She took an empty seat at the bar, and it was just Nick's luck that there was a little space for someone else next to her. He was overcome with an animalistic desire. This electricity had bonded him to this wonderful, dazzling creature, and he wanted to make her his. He inwardly vowed he would not stop until he knew who this girl was, and hopefully he would see where it would lead from there.

"Go get her, Tiger!" Jay shouted as he pushed Nick out of the booth. "Thank me later!"

Nick took one last swig of his beer, high-fived Jay, and made his way over to the bar in a quickened pace. He couldn't resist the magnetic attraction, and knew that **this**girl was going to be the girl to break his dry spell. He was sure of it.

He slid up to the bar, and silently cleared his throat in preparation for his big move.

_Okay Stokes_ He thought to himself _it's been a while, but you know the drill. You've got one shot to impress this girl, and since she's excruciatingly gorgeous, you've got to do it correctly. Don't, I repeat, DON'T screw this up. Don't talk about your momma. Don't talk about Discovery Channel. DON'T JUST STAND THERE! FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST SAY SOMETHING!_

He turned on his Southern charm and leaned into the mysterious woman, who was staring towards the crowd and away from Nick. She was slightly leaning on the counter, her right hand fiddling with her curls, the fingers of her left hand tapping in expert time to the pulsating beat blasting from the club speakers.

Nick went to tap her on the shoulder, but something stopped him. He suddenly felt self-conscious and unsure. He knew it was his last chance to back out of this risky endeavor. Nick felt the attraction, and acknowledged inwardly that she really could be what his life needed. She could be the one to break his cycle and restore his liveliness. This gorgeous mystery woman could give him back his soul. He looked to Jay for reassurance, but quickly spied that the good ol' boy was already chatting up with what looked like the biggest bleach-blonde undergraduate in the whole club. _Well, this is it_ he thought to himself, _past the point of no return_.

He leaned in closer so she could hear his voice over the throbbing bass of the DJ's mix.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Nick asked in his most suave, sex-laced tone.

"That depends…" a husky yet familiar voice rang in his ear "Would you be buying the second round, too?" She turned around to face him, and suddenly he felt like a brick had hit his head.

A very, very, **very** hard brick.


	3. Something Strange

Disclaimer: I just don't. No ownage.

Hey everyone! I'd already had Chapter 3 around half-done, and I was so stoked after posting that I finished it pretty quick. Thanks for all of the reviews, and I'm glad you all like my writing style!

And no...I'm sorry this isn't a Greg-is-a-Trannie fic. Though, the Love and a brush with crossdressing might make for an interesting plot...

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Chapter 3- Something Strange 

"Nick!"

A one very shocked and partially embarrassed Sara Sidle stared at him with her smoky, dark eyes. Nick was red-faced. He couldn't speak, and he sure as hell couldn't explain himself.

"Um…uh….Sara…uh…" Was all Nick could force out of his mouth. He'd just hit on his coworker and lab partner of six years. She was a good friend, a smart CSI, and she was, well she was….

_Oh hurt me sexy. _

"Nick? Are you okay?" Sara had come to grips with the situation, and seemed unfazed. Her natural curls framed her face, and her smoky, almost catlike eyes drove Nick to a new plateau of lust-filled insanity. She looked surprisingly composed amid the rather…compromising and downright awkward situation Nick put the both of them in.

"Sara…. Wow. I don't think I've ever seen anything…. Remotely close to how you look…. At this moment…. Right, right now? Where did you…? How did you…? You look…."

Nick had finally been able to speak, but his cerebrum hadn't allowed him capability of full sentences. He knew he was making a fool of himself, but he didn't care. His sensory receptors were having a field day, and suddenly his thoughts drove to carnal desire and want.

"What's the matter Nick?" Sara quirked an eyebrow at him as she leaned close to whisper in his ear

"See something you like?"

_Am I in the Twilight Zone? _Nick couldn't explain a thing. _This can't be Sara. I know her too well. The dress, the makeup, even the shoes don't match the guarded and professional science nerd I know. But, I have to admit; she looks like sex in human form_.

"You know, I do." Nick smiled with the confidence of his newfound speech. Nick was still bewildered by the course of events, yet the only thing he knew was he needed to know more. Fate had thrown him an opportunity, and he was damn sure going to take it.

"Would you like to dance?" Sara asked him in her rough yet hypnotizing voice. Nick had never heard this tone before in his life, and he swore she was just purring out syllables.

Nick's speech had once escaped him when images of his and Sara's bodies interlocking in time to the rush of the music began dancing through his shell-shocked mind, forcing him to send a quick nod in her direction. Wasting no time, Sara pulled Nick by the hand and led him into the almost-choking heat of the crowd.

There was no question that in the CSI division of the LVPD, Nick and Sara were the most equal partners in the field. Even with conflicting ideas and different positions on suspects, it always seemed that Nick and Sara put their differences aside to work on an investigation properly. They worked completely together, independent yet cooperative. They could survive without each other, but together they were….

_Magic_ is the only word that Nick could come up with as Sara slid up next to him and began moving her hips with his in time to the pulsating beat. Their equality carried onto the dance floor. Instead of finishing each other's ideas and working different sides of the same case in unison, they were gyrating and swiveling like one person. The delectable rhythm had captured Nick and Sara in its wake. Nick's breathing had slowed down as his mind carried him to an otherworldly place where it was just the two of them. No one else was in the room, no one **except Sara**.

Nick's world almost collapsed as Sara slid down his body with an amazing expertise. Sara brought her body up in the most enticing and erotic roll he had ever seen in his life. _Oh man_, Nick thought to himself, _who knew the diligent lab worker could give Catherine a run for her money in the dancing department_? His breath hitched as they resumed their tantalizing dance. Though Nick's body was pressed behind Sara's, her hands had slid back to play with the hairs at the nape of his neck. His hands drifted from her hips downward, and he swore he heard a soft moan when his hands brushed across her thigh.

Nick's rationale was telling him to turn back, leave and forget everything about the whole night, but his desire was pleading him to stay. This rare-form of Sara had brought out the savage in him and, scarily enough, he didn't want to change. She was playing him in the way he knew she could, pushing all of his buttons like she always did. He'd felt little flutters of the feeling every time she'd look at him in a special way or shamelessly flirt with him. But, those flutters had grown to full-on tremors of pure want. He was a slave to her ministrations, and she seemed pleased about it.

Suddenly, she turned to face him. Their eyes locked together, and Nick could tell that the feelings were mutual. They were both drifting into a dangerous zone, damning the consequences in turn. Sara leaned in close to him, and Nick braced himself for the inevitable lock of their lips. Instead, she leaned in close to whisper in his ear:

"How about we go to your place?"

Nick shuddered as Sara's tongue traced the outside of his ear and she began to suck gently on his earlobe. Nick was sent into a mind-boggled stupor for the third time that evening, barely able to wave in Jay's general direction as Sara grabbed his hand and led him out of the club. The last thing he saw was Jay jumping around like a maniac, winking his direction and giving him two gigantic thumbs up.

Nick looked over at Sara while he was driving and realized that the moonlight gave her skin an ethereal glow. It didn't hinder things that she was shooting him possibly the most erotic glances of his lifetime. He'd been trying hard to contain his arousal, but if things kept progressing he would be pouncing on her at the next stoplight. The car was silent, as both were afraid to disturb the heavy air of lust. Nick wasn't sure what to say, but by this point he didn't need words, he didn't need anything except knowing exactly what had been lingering in the back of his mind for years.

Nick Stokes always knew that the full moon brought out the crazies, and tonight he was under its spell. It was finally his turn to throw caution to the wind.

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So...to answer your question. Yes. I shop in the candy-aisle of CSI fandoms. I loveth me some Snickers. Happy now? 

Oh..and I'm wondering if I should continue with the story or not. I have an interesting plot designed, but I was wondering if I should leave the story as is.

Review and tell me what you think!


	4. Little Mystery

Disclaimer: No Ownage. Never. Not Ever. Except Jay. He's mine.

So...I heard you guys wanted some more?

Well, here it is! Enjoy!

Oh..and I know Sara is a bit OOC, but it'll come full-circle in later chapters!

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Chapter 4- Little Mystery

That black ribbon.

Nick had spent fifteen minutes trying to open the door, and he knew it was all because of that little black ribbon around Sara's wrist. He hadn't noticed it at the club, or in the car, but as soon as they reached the front of his apartment, there it was. Her forefinger slid under it with ease, and she was stroking it slowly. Nick knew it was in anticipation, and it led him to a nerve short-circuit. He couldn't believe she was in his apartment (or, at least at the front of it, if he could just fit the key in the damn lock), and he hadn't the foggiest clue where to go next.

After his episode with the lock came to a dramatic close with the door finally swinging open, Nick walked briskly into his hallway. Pent-up nerves were eating at him, and he spontaneously decided to give a verbal tour. His lust had turned into jittery emotion, and he was about as spastic as an ADD child with king-size Snickers bar. He turned around to make sure Sara followed, and began nervously pacing around his apartment, driven with the sudden urge to give a detailed verbal tour of his one-bedroom apartment.

"There's the bathroom," Nick pointed absentmindedly. He made the decision not to face her, partially afraid of the look on her face when she realized that his Don Juan skills had gotten a little bit rusty. "And there's the kitchen over there," Nick walked in quick strides away from Sara and over to the refrigerator, opening it and searching for water bottles, "Man, was it hot in there, I thought I was about to keel over from all that heat." Nick's babbling had reached an amazing level as he backed out and shut the door "I know you've got to be thirsty from all of that—"

He didn't know exactly how or when Sara had stripped down to a pair of black silk panties and a matching bra. Nevertheless, she was ten feet away from him, and Nick suddenly knew why she had committed such an act. The lust in her eyes made Nick instinctively drop the water bottles onto the ground. She took four purposeful strides towards Nick's body and slammed into him in a bruising kiss. It didn't take long to heat up. Over six years of suppressed sexual need filled into the kiss and Nick found himself stroking a patch of pallid skin on Sara's lower back. He slid his forefinger up and down her spine in anticipation, just to show her what kind of feelings she gave him at the front door with her little black ribbon.

Silently, Sara pulled away and grabbed Nick's hand. She made an unbelievably slow and tantalizing walk, leading him to what they both knew would change their relationship forever.

…

Nick flipped over from his stomach in an attempt to grab a few more minutes of precious sleep before work. Suddenly his eyes opened in shock. _Was that whole night a blurry, lucid dream?_ He thought to himself. There was no sign of Sara ever being there at all. He'd woken up completely alone at 4:00 in the afternoon, no trace of her within the immediate vicinity of his room. In fact, he would call the whole thing off as a semi-drunken hallucination if it weren't for the pleasant ache in the back of his spine from hours of great sex. He sat up in his bed, and perplexity took him over. _She was here…I know she was_ Nick continued to repeat in his mind. They had sex all over his apartment, multiple times. The sexual frustration and raw chemistry between them was intoxicating for Nick, and he finally felt alive since the coffin. Sara had raised him from the dead, but she wasn't there to take credit for it.

He'd pulled on a pair of boxers when his cell phone went off. He scrambled around to find it, as he remembered he threw it in the haste of last night. He searched through all of the clothes on his floor, and made a mental note that Little Miss Meticulous CSI hadn't left a single article behind. He made a dive under his nightstand, and answered the newfound phone.

"Stokes." Nick growled into his phone, his yet-unused voice worn from passionate moans and groans that escaped his lips the previous evening.

"Nicky! My man!" Jay whooped in response, "Dude, how was that fine breezy you seemed hung up on last night?"

"Jay…. Did you just say the word 'breezy'?" Nick shook his head and sighed, "I really don't want to talk about last night."

"Oh, I get it. She looked fine with the smoke and all the flashy lights, but by the morning light you realized she was a questionable hookup? Dude, everyone's been there with you! This one time, I was partying in Amsterdam, and the next morning I woke up in the middle of a brothel with a French rower. Have you ever seen French rowers? This girl had these massive arms, and it was clear she didn't shave her armpits—"

"Jay!" Nick yelled into the phone to stop his friend's incessant chatter, "She wasn't questionable at all, She just kind of ran out on me."

"One-time lover?"

"Worse. Coworker."

"Girls that **hot** work in your lab?" Jay was stunned. "Man, if I'd known that in college, I would've stuck with that chemistry—"

"Jay! Do you not understand, man? Sara's a coworker, a friend of mine, and we had the wildest sex. And I woke up, and she was gone. There's no evidence to even suggest she stepped foot in my apartment."

Nick had risen from his former position and began to pace back and forth in his bedroom. She'd completely left him, and he didn't know how to act about it.

"Evidence? Nick, don't go all Sherlock Holmes on me. She's hot, she's sexy, and she's definitely not a dead body at a murder scene. She probably just got scared about you two getting horizontal, and she backed out of there as soon as she could."

"Jay," Nick said as he walked into the hallway to the living room, "That just might've been the smartest thing you've said since I've known you."

"Thanks," Jay replied sarcastically.

"Look, I've got to sort some things out before I go into work, can I call you later?"

"Sure enough, brother. Just don't get worked up over this Sara chick, she might just be pushing your buttons."

"Thanks, man, I'll talk to you later." Nick hung up the phone and began to process his house for any sign of Sara activity. He scanned his living room, and looked in his bathroom. He ended in the kitchen, where the two water bottles lied untouched since the previous night. He'd given up hope. _There must've been some reason why Sara would bail without leaving anything behind_ he thought. There was nothing: no note, no explanation of why she backed out of something they desperately needed to talk about. Finally, he walked to his front hallway. What he saw spread a mischievous grin on his face.

Tied around the doorknob of Nick's front door was Sara's black ribbon.

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There ya go! I hope you liked it! Review as you like, anything is great! Now...time to work on Chapter 5... 


	5. All Business

Disclaimer: Nope. And I pity myself for it.

Hi everyone! Here's what I promised: Chapter 5 up!

Thank you so much for all of your reviews. I really appreciate them!

Oh, and if you haven't already :_SHAMELESS CROSS-PROMOTION_: I suggest you check out my other story **The Rooftop**. It's darker and a bit more mature in content than this one, and I'd love to hear your opinion on it.

Now...without further ado...

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Chapter 5- All Business

Nick cursed under his breath as he pulled into the LVPD parking lot.

_How the hell am I going to do this?_ Nick thought to himself as he practically threw his head onto the steering wheel in frustration. He had no idea what to do about his confusing, awkward situation.

Shift had started 10 minutes prior, but he'd been so busy pacing around his apartment he'd forgotten all about work. He had knowingly placed himself in a dangerous situation with one of his best friends and liked it. His night with Sara scared him, not because it was awful or embarrassing, but because he'd developed an addiction for her in such a short time. They made love, and he wanted more of her. He wanted to touch her and kiss her so bad his body ached. He'd never felt this way over a girl, and it was killing him. But, she left; disappeared without a trace, except for a black ribbon tied around the doorknob of the front door of his apartment.

He reached inside his front pocket and pulled out the ribbon. It was his only tangible evidence to even suggest he and Sara had actually consummated their long and flirtatious relationship. Nick stared at it for a few seconds, contemplating his situation. He felt the silky smoothness of the thin ribbon, and thought of Sara. He wanted so badly to rush up to her, grab her, and kiss the living daylights out of her. Yet, his less-lustful side urged him to hang back and let her explain herself. Nick let out a long, heavy sigh, shoved the ribbon back in his pocket, and made his way to the lab.

Apprehension took him over as he briskly walked through the glass-walled lab. His breathing became uneasy, and he thought of the dark side of his own endeavor. _What if she thinks the whole thing was a mistake? What if she shuts me down?_ Nick was a nervous wreck. He felt like a little seventh-grader in corrective shoes, ready to ask a cheerleader to his first junior high dance. His palms became sweaty, his neck became hot, and a tense, lust-filled fever filled his body.

He took a deep breath, and reached a sweaty palm out to open the door to the break room. Slowly, he pulled the door open and stepped inside.

"Glad you could make it, Nick." Grissom said as he motioned him to sit down. Nick looked at his coworkers with a sheepish smile, and waved to Catherine, Greg, and Warrick reclining around the conference table. He glanced downward and approached his chair, easily sitting down. He felt cool and calm. He was ready for the day ahead, and he assured himself that his Sara-ordeal wouldn't cloud his mind on the clock. He was confident, cool, and collected.

That is, he was until she walked in.

"Sorry everyone," Sara said as she took her seat directly across from Nick's. She smiled and slid a stray wisp of her straight brown hair around her ears. Catherine sighed and urged Grissom to continue the debriefing now that everyone was present.

"Now people…." Grissom said as he began to talk in detail about everyone's cases. Nick couldn't help but tune out his boss's orders and briefings. He studied Sara's features with great intensity. She seemed like her normal self: straight hair, sensible clothes, and interested only in her work. Nick even knew Sara wouldn't notice his careful investigation of her body, as it was obvious she was absorbed in the new cases at hand. Nick grew uneasy, and began to shift around in his chair.

_This doesn't make sense_, Nick thought to himself, _She looks like her regular, studious self. She doesn't even look like she went out last night, let alone gave me quite possibly the best sex I've ever had. She just seems…the same. But, she's beautiful nonetheless. Did I ever know she was this beautiful before? Even under the ultraviolet break-room lights she's breathtaking. I can't believe I passed this up for so—_

"Stokes!" Warrick chuckled as he alerted his coworker. "You're on the clock, man. It's valuable to pay attention right now."

"Huh?"

"Nicky." Catherine said, "The case?"

"Oh… yeah. Sorry, I must've checked out for a second." Nick explained.

"Well, you should check back in soon, this case is important." Sara teased. Nick grew silent and embarrassed at her simple gibe. _What the hell is going on? She's bubbly, and sharp, like a **friend**?_

Nick was beyond reasoning the current situation. Sara was definitely not acting like he'd made her scream his name in his bed, on the floor, on the counter, and various places in between. She was normal, everyday Sara, and Nick couldn't believe it.

"Like I was saying," Grissom continued, "Nick, I know you had the day off, but Catherine's case is getting hot and we need all available hands helping her out. The remains of two bodies were found buried in the middle of a business park that caters to doctors. Warrick noted that all the bones were clean at the ends, which points the finger at one of the surgeons in the medical practices surrounding the park. We need help sorting out the bones and identifying the victims."

"Sure, no problem." Nick said resolutely. He was thankful to be let on Catherine's case. It gave him an opportunity to throw himself into his work and not onto Sara in a desperate attempt to remind her exactly what had blown up between them the previous night. He could concentrate, and focus on his job.

"Good," Grissom said, "Work with Sara."

_Oh no…._

"What?" Nick questioned.

"You heard me. Both of you were off yesterday, and we need results as fast as possible. Both of you will work on bones in the morgue. You guys work great together, but I need it harder, better, faster, and stronger than you've ever done before with her, okay?"

"Yes." Nick managed to squeak out. _God, that was awkward. Harder, better, faster, stronger…oh no. Gotta keep focus. Gotta keep focus. _

Nick knew everyone was staring at him in all his red-faced glory, and he knew that he needed to explain himself fast. He couldn't necessarily tell them the truth, and the looks of confusion marring his coworkers' faces begged an explanation of his embarrassing, pubescent boy vocal tone. He breathed in slowly and delved deep in his mind for the most plausible explanation to his unusual actions.

"Sorry about that, Gris. I just…had a bit of an episode last night. I caught a fever, and I couldn't sweat it out," Nick locked eyes with Sara, who glanced back with a slightly worried face, "It was with me a long time, and in the morning it just kind of escaped me. Now, I'm feeling it again."

"Just as long as it doesn't affect your work." Grissom muttered.

"I'll be fine." Nick replied. He studied Sara's face: she looked concerned for him, but any trace of the wanton undertones in her eyes the previous night had dissipated. Nick was beginning to think that the whole thing really _was_ a dream, or someone was toying with him. In any respect, Nick needed to pull himself together. He was going to be spending almost his entire shift in close proximity of her, and fantasies or not, Nick wanted to do exactly what he'd done to her over and over again. In black, in a lab coat, he didn't care at this point. All he knew was he craved her body, and it was going to be a painful night.

As they all filed out of the break room, Sara strode up to face Nick.

"So…ready to get this thing started, cowboy?" Sara smirked at him. She touched his chest, and tapped her fingers against his collarbone. Inadvertent or not, Nick was starting to thing maybe she **did **remember after all. Mixed signals were clouding his brain.

"Yeah." He managed to gulp out.

"I'll be waiting for you." She pushed away and briskly walked away, towards the direction of the morgue.

Nick pulled out the black ribbon, and felt its silky smoothness for the second time in an hour.

Oh yes, it was going to be one **long** shift.

* * *

Hee! There's Chapter 5! I hope you liked it, and keep reviewing! I'll be on vacation next week, so I'm going to be evil and leave you with a slight cliffy to ponder over! 


	6. Burning Situation

Disclaimer: Nope. Not in this life. Not in the next.

I'm baaaaaaaack!

My vacation was fun, but I came back with absolutely no memory of where I was going with this story. Luckily enough, I found a rough outline of it in the margin of my Philosophy notes (The notes were on Love and the Human Relationship, coincidence, no?).

I also wanna say thanks for all of your reviews, I really enjoy all the feedback I'm getting!

So…here we go!

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Chapter 6- Burning Situation 

Nick was in trouble, serious trouble.

He and Sara had been alone in the morgue for hours trying to piece together the jigsaw puzzle of human skeletal remains. They had finally placed together a whole female skeleton and sent the skull for dental analysis, but Nick could take no credit for the work. Such a long period of time in such an enclosed space with a coworker he probably slept with who seemingly had no idea of their intimate meetings was torture. Her touch, her voice, her scent overpowered him, and any small resemblance of his normal CSI thinking skills had vanished. One minute he'd be sorting out bones with ease, then the next minute Sara would bend over their shared analysis table to inspect a distinctive fossa and he wouldn't be able to tell a humerous from a femur. He felt like he was in a furnace, despite the knowledge that Doc Robbins kept his rooms at a comfortable 68 degrees. Nick knew Sara had a hold on him, whether she knew it or not, and it frustrated him that she'd carried on like it was a normal night on shift.

It also didn't help that his mind was aiding his feverish and spastic feelings. As time went on, Nick's mind had been spinning flashes of their mating. No matter how hard he tried to focus on the evidence, he would flash to a new second in their hot, raw coupling. He tried hard to keep a facade of normalcy to match Sara's apparent serene and centered mentality, but his body was betraying him. He couldn't help but think of his hands in her hair, his lips on her skin; it was emotional and sexual suicide.

Nick pulled out a square bone from the pile of unused remains and strode over to the bone chart. He'd forgotten how long he'd been in the tiny, claustrophobic space with Sara, and his guard was wearing thin. Intent on solving the case, Nick tried his best to pay attention to detail, despite his nagging and dirty mind. He finally noted it as the 3rd index phalange, and went to place it when a groan of frustration escaped Sara's lips.

"Nicky, will you come here?" Sara said with a hint of a whimper.

_Oh lord_, Nick thought, _Christ Almighty, if you hear me, please keep me sane. If I get within a close proximity of her right now, I might explode from exhaustion and pure lust. Just…keep me safe, and please don't let me act like a total fool._

"Nicky?" Sara inquired again.

"Yes?" Nick said as he cleared his throat and slid around the analysis table to help her. She stood five feet away from the set of bones on the table with a perplexed and concentrated countenance, and he couldn't help but thinking she looked adorable with her resolute and piercing facial expression. He stood a good deal away from her in an attempt to establish a working personal boundary. Yet, Sara took no notice to it and came within less than a foot of him.

"This just doesn't make sense," Sara started. Nick's breath hitched in his throat as she grabbed his arm and led him to the analysis table.

"Sar," Nick replied in the calmest voice he could sustain while acknowledging the fact that Sara had effectively pinned him between her and the analysis table, her lips inches from his ear, "What's the issue?"

"Well, you know how the bones from the female vic were cleanly severed from end to end, which meant that they could only have been done by a surgeon?"

"Yeah" Nick answered in an honest attempt to keep himself from having another awkward-pubescent boy vocal crack sequel to his performance during the staff meeting. Sara had leaned in closer to Nick, her chest up against his back as she reached for a bone on the table. Nick could feel her breath on the side of his face, and, against his will, his mind began to bring up images of their various sexual encounters.

"I noticed that the only half of the bones possessed the same quality of work…

"_Nicky!" She screamed as Nick slid his hand on the outer edge of her thigh._

And that they must've been done by someone else. Take this collarbone for instance…

_Nick began to lick and suck at Sara's collarbone. Through his haze he noted that she tasted like strawberries._

Its ends are lightly cut into, which says that this body wasn't, at least partially, cut by the same person…

_Nick hoisted Sara up onto his kitchen counter, relishing in the scent of her wild, curly hair._

So I'm thinking that this surgeon wasn't alone, someone close to him was there…

_He kissed her lips fiercely, her hands tantalizingly tracing indiscriminate circles along his bare back._

And by the marks and the job status, I'd be guessing…

"_Nicky!" She groaned, her voice ringing in his ears._

A nurse maybe?"

Nick took a long look at Sara, who hadn't moved from behind him. His palms were sweaty, his body overcome with desire. He'd been thinking about the sex they'd had in his kitchen throughout their entire conversation and he barely paid attention to what she was saying. _What do I do?_ He thought. He was in a bind, an awkward, lust-filled bind. He was delirious, and he did the only thing he knew how to do.

He **ran**.

He blew clear through the lab and into the locker room without so much as a word to Sara. He locked the door and began to pace up and down the row of lockers. He was jittery, nervous, and turned on. His skin was humming, and his mind was clouded. He couldn't understand how Sara could turn him on without even touching him, but she could. He was ready to burst from sexual frustration and couldn't rationalize anything in the chain of events that had brought him to this status.

He reached into his pocket and fumbled around before finding his cell phone and calling the master of these situations: Jay.

Nick began taking meditative breaths, praying that Jay had a solvable answer to his dire, unbelievably messed up situation.

"Jaybro here, what's up?" Jay exclaimed into the phone. Nick jumped at the noise; his nerves bundled up with inexorable force, fueled by excitement.

"Yeah…Jay, it's Nick." He said. Nick's pace was getting faster, and he could barely think let alone carry on an intelligible conversation. "I have a problem."

"Man?" Jay laughed "Did you two go at it in the lab? Man…I don't think that Graswich guy you work for is going to be happy about that one."

"Jay, first of all, my boss's name is Grissom—"

"Sorry!" Jay interrupted.

"It's fine," Nick assured. _Oh man_, Nick thought,_ How am I going to tell him this? _"Uh…well…she doesn't remember a thing."

"Not a thing?" Jay echoed.

"Yeah dude. Absolutely nothing." Nick gritted through his teeth. He was angry with Sara, angry for pretending that she didn't care, pretending like nothing had changed.

"GHB?" Jay blurted out, which oddly didn't surprise Nick.

"No, she's just acting cool and calm as usual. Jay, this is really messed up and I need this resolved, but I have no idea how to go about it. She's amazing, and I don't want to screw it up."

"Wow," Jay said, "Man, no need to get girlie on me. Just do what I used to do in the 8th grade."

"The 8th grade?" Nick was disgusted, "How can you possibly think that this has anything to do with the fact that you were fat and wore a retainer?"

"I resent that!" Jay retorted, "Nick, my man. It's not all that different. Just…corner her and ask her if she hit her head on the way to work and forgot that you guys got it on."

"Sweet Christ, Jay. Two smart solutions in one day, and here I thought you were an idiot." Nick replied dryly.

"Haha very funny." Jay snipped back. "Well, I gotta bounce man, I've got to go pick up Tisha for a night out. You know Tisha…she was the one who I was macking on when you were getting all friendly with your coworker and I was like 'damn' and—"

"Yeah man, I get it. I'll call you later."

"Sure thing Nicky boy."

Nick hung up, and reached in his other pocket. He pulled out Sara's black ribbon.

"_I need you Nick," Sara exclaimed in a hot breath close to his ear._

Nick shook his head, trying to clear the flashes out of his mind. He didn't know if it was the full moon, the lust, or the resolve, but the plan was crazy enough to work.

He was going to tell her how he felt.

* * *

Hee...I got a little dirtier this chap. hope y'all don't mind! Well...I think the next chapter might be the **CONCLUSION**, but I haven't decided... 


	7. Formulating Plans

Disclaimer: Hahaha...own it? Surely you jest.

Buenos dias! I know I said earlier that this chapter was to be the final installment of **Black Sweat**, butwhen I saw it half-written on my desk, I realized it would work better broken into two parts as it is **massive**.

Thanks for all the reviews, even though some of you find me evil. And yes, I look forward to writing more. I'm alsowilling to accept any challenges or scenarios thrown at me, so don't hesitate to double-daring me into writing something.

So..here's 1/2 of the conclusion!

* * *

Chapter 7- Formulating Plans 

There was a full moon in the sky over the LVPD forensics' lab. Nick Stokes always knew that the full moon brought out the crazies, and frankly he was sure to be one of them.

_There's no way I can back out of this_, Nick thought as he washed his face in the sink of the men's bathroom, something he'd done twice before already, _I've made my bed and now I have to…uh…lie in it, so to speak_.

After ten minutes of intense contemplation in the locker room and a hasty sprint to the restroom he was currently pondering in, Nick had decided his impulse was correct: the time was looming, he needed to tell her how he felt before it was too late. He knew he had to do exactly what Jay had said, cornering her and explaining himself. He'd waited too long for her to do something, say anything about their night of mysterious and dangerous passion, and now it was his turn to take charge. The details of his plan, however, were crude at best.

Nick turned the faucet on once again, splashing his still-flushed face with cool, soothing water. If he hadn't known better, he would think that Sara had actually infected him with an actual fever; one that took over his body, made his movements completely maladroit, and poisoned his thoughts to the point where his toxic mind would do nothing but spin images and sonnets about her. His previous attempts at making conversation with her—or even standing less than three feet away from her for more than five minutes—had not only been mediocre, but embarrassing in every sense of the word. If he was going to confront her, he had to do it right. He wasn't 100 percent ready for the hypothetical bevy of options that was his conversation with Sara about the previous night.

Nick began his now-comfortable pace of contemplation for the umpteenth time in the last half an hour, when Greg waltzed into the men's room in an abnormally spry way. Nick could smell Greg's amusement a mile away and quirked his eyebrow at the young, blonde level one.

"Well, come on Greg, let's hear it," Nick ordered, willing to walk into his own inevitable humiliation. _Man, I have to stop embarrassing myself on the job_, Nick inwardly chastised. He understood that his situation was comical, that to Greg he looked like some inept, post-illness blob of awkwardness and red-faced foolery whose shenanigans could only be something of an _Archie_ comic. He'd become the Jughead of the lab in less than 24 hours, and he couldn't explain the truth to bystanders—in all honesty, **he** had no idea what the truth was.

Predictably, Greg flashed the largest grin from ear to ear, and pretended that the information he was withholding from his Texan coworker was causing him to bounce around like he was about to explode from the tension. Greg leaned into Nick midway through his dance to nudge Nick in the elbows.

"So," Greg began, "Word around the lab is that you ran out on Sara like a scared little schoolgirl without a single peep."

"What?"

"Yeah, Sara looked a bit flustered about it," Greg said as he shook his head in mock-pity for Nick.

"Greggo, it's a little hard to explain," Nick replied as he stared down at the grimy floor of the men's room, "but I've been having… well… a slight issue with Sara. I didn't run out because I was scared. I ran to run."

"Ran to run?" Greg echoed back, shooting Nick a look that obviously inquired if a strain of crazy was embedded somewhere in the Stokes clan's DNA.

"Yeah."

Greg stared at Nick for a period of silence, waiting to see what the Texan would do next in the conversational standoff. After 30 seconds, Greg finally cracked under his own burgeoning curiosity.

"Come on, Nick, tell me!" Greg pleaded with all the desire of a child holding a brand new puppy.

"I don't think you can handle it."

"Try me." Greg replied with a load of confidence. He supplemented his statement with a strong power-stance in a valiant effort to convince Nick he was ready for the news.

"Well," Nick hesitated, knowing that dropping a bomb this size would be hard to keep under wraps.

"Greg, promise to me that no matter what you do today, the information that I am about to tell you will stay **only** with you. Don't mouth off to Hodges, Wendy, or anyone for that matter. This is personal, and if I found out that you told someone, I promise a load of horrific things to come, you understand me?"

"Yeah," Greg promised with all of the sincerity he could muster, "Just tell me."

"Sara and I had sex."

"You two **did the nasty**!" Greg screamed so loud that Nick feared the entire lab heard the sound of his dirty laundry airing out.

"Yes, man. Now keep it down." Nick urged.

"I hate to disappoint you, Nick, but Sara doesn't have that tell-tale afterglow, nor has she mentioned anything—"

"That's because when I woke up, man, she was gone. And, she hasn't said anything about it since, for that matter," Nick answered, once again feeling the frustration that had drove him to pacing for nearly twenty minutes in perplexity.

"I'm still not sure I believe you," Greg accused. He gave Nick his best detective face, signaling Nick that the eccentric young former-lab rat desired tangible proof of the highly improbable situation that was the manifestation of countless years of flirting and innuendo between Nick and the dedicated, practical, and certainly untouchable Sara.

Nick sighed as he felt crimson heat on the back of his neck for another time. The cycle of Sara's fever continued on, and Nick inhaled a cooling breath in a desperate attempt to lower his increasing body temperature. He reached into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out the little black ribbon he'd found that afternoon and waved it in front of Greg's face.

"She left this hanging on my doorknob," Nick said earnestly. Greg quickly grabbed the silken piece of fabric, examining it close with his eyes like saucers and his mouth hanging wide open. The blonde CSI shot an incredulous look at Nick, then at the ribbon, then back at Nick.

"No way man!" Greg half-screeched in surprise.

"Yes way, I'd even challenge you to dust the sucker for prints. It's hers." Nick leaned into Greg, quickly snatching the black ribbon from his hands. He jammed it in his pocket before walking around the bathroom to calm himself. He was tired, bewildered, and unsure of his future. Now, with Greg knowing one of the biggest social explosions in the history of the whole crime lab, Nick was afraid of messing his whole plan up. He turned to face Greg and continue with his confession.

"Man," Greg sighed as he looked at Nick in shock and disbelief, "Now I know why you've been acting like a fool this whole time."

"Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with me," Nick said as he strode over to the sink to wash his face out of compulsion, "She's messing with my system, and I can't get over it."

"Is there anything I can do?" Greg inquired.

Nick stood up from the chrome basin, flooded with inspiration. He took a long look at Greg with the fervor of a developing plan. He smirked, and strode over to pat his younger coworker on the back.

"Actually, I was wondering, what are you doing for Cath's case?"

"Uh…I was about to go with Brass to chat with a few of the surgeons to see if they've misplaced dead bodies or anything," Greg responded.

"Do you think I could switch with you? You can work on bones with Sara and I'll get out into the field. She's almost done, and I know you're close to maxing out on overtime. It's a win-win situation: You get more relaxing time, and I can think more about how I'm gonna do this. What do you say?"

Nick waggled his eyebrows in a salesman-like way, trying his best to sell the only idea that could work in his situation. He needed time to prepare for his big talk with Sara, and he didn't know where the venue of his showdown would take place. He needed to avoid her and cool off before he put anything into action.

" Sure, man. Your situation is way messed up, and I'm willing to help out." Greg smiled, looking slightly like a super hero saving the day.

"Thanks Sanders." Nick smiled back and walked towards the door. He felt for the handle, but turned around to face Greg once again.

"Oh, and Greg, not a word of this." Nick warned and pointed a finger resolutely at the quirky CSI.

"Not a thing." Greg smiled and waved.

Nick walked out of the bathroom and towards his Denali to meet Catherine. His tradeoff borrowed him time though he regretted leaving Sara's side. He needed to organize and concentrate. This was going to be his do or die situation, and he needed it to run smoothly.

The full moon outside gave Nick strength, its waxy coloring and soft light reminding him of his night with Sara. This was going to be it, he was positive.

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Heheh...I love that Greggo. He's so adorable. 

Well...there's part I...expect part II sometime soon. REVIEW plzkthnx!


	8. Final Confrontation

Disclaimer: No. I wish.

Here it is! The **Second Part** of the conclusion!

Now you can see why I cut it in half..it was huge!

I know it's taken a while for me to get this on here, I've been kind of off in one-shot land with **Marriage of Two Minds** and **You Can't Take It With You**. I poured all I had into this part of the conclusion, so I hope you find it enjoyable!

Now...the exciting end to **Black Sweat**!

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Chapter 8- Final Confrontation 

The night had worn on, but the moon was still bright as it shown down over the Las Vegas Crime Lab. The moon has been known to make people do strange things, entrancing them under the soft glow of the night.

And, on the night of this full moon, Nick Stokes found the urge to hide in a utility closet.

Barely moving and steadying his breath to keep his hiding place secret, Nick had stepped into what he thought was the most private room he could find. While he was working with Catherine on their case, he'd been mentally crossing off all the rooms of the lab in a desperate attempt to find the right arena to confront Sara _alone_. Having ruled out the break room (too much traffic), the morgue (too many dead bodies), and Grissom's office (too awkward), Nick had settled on the place no one goes. Understandably so, as the faint smell of bleach and formaldehyde permeated the air and various cleaning supplies were strewn about in a haphazard way around the tiny room. Wedged between some kind of mop and a basket full of squeegees, Nick cracked the door open just a bit, waiting for his prey.

Earlier, he had been working out the details of his plan while simultaneously interviewing various surgeons, nurses, and attending assistants. He'd found the best way to find her would be to page her from the DNA lab, which was situated conveniently right next to his current hideout. Having done so five minutes earlier, Nick began to feel the common twinges of nervousness unfolding in his stomach. He didn't want to take such drastic measures with his situation, but after thinking about her for hours and becoming a stuttering, incompetent fool in her presence, he'd felt that this was the only way he could get his answers. He needed to know if their night together meant something to her, as he was pretty sure it meant a great deal to him. She'd changed him in the strangest, most fulfilling way he'd ever experienced, and he needed to know that what happened was real; he wanted to know if they shared the same sweet memory. He could feel the heat rising up again, crimson creeping in vine-like twists on his neck. He'd gotten used to the feeling hours before, but he wanted to finish it once and for all.

_My Lord,_ he thought, _How long does it take for Sara to walk from the morgue to the DNA lab?_

He'd artfully dodged her for the rest of shift after he'd switched assignments with Greg, avoiding every area he thought she would be in. He'd crafted his final confrontation for hours, and he didn't want a small conversation with her (or another public embarrassment) ruin his chances of making an impact on her. _Maybe she didn't get it_, Nick thought as his mind began playing on his doubts, _Maybe she blew it off. Would she blow a case off? No. Why am I worried about this? Focus, Nick, focus._ He closed his eyes and shook his head

Suddenly, he saw her.

A determined and purposeful Sara Sidle strode to the DNA lab, obviously immersed in thought. Seizing the right time, he quickly threw the door to the utility closet open, grabbed Sara's wrist, and pulled her inside with deft agility and speed. He hadn't been so close to her since their night, and as his hands grabbed her waist to keep her from tumbling into the box of squeegees, he momentarily forgot his situation until an obviously angry voice boomed out of the darkness.

"What the **hell** do you think you're doing?" Nick turned on the overhead light of the closet, finally getting a clear glimpse of Sara's flustered and twisted features. He was prepared for the anger, and the fact that he was less than a foot away from her and still standing forced him to crack a small smile. _God, she's even sexy when she's upset_, he thought as he touched his finger to her lips, silencing a bout of ranting from his enraged and perplexed coworker.

"Sara," Nick said in a soft voice, "I need to talk to you."

"Well," She responded with a hint of ice in her inflection, "It'll have to wait, I just got a page for DNA results. And why are we in the supply closet? What is going on? I demand an explanation—"

Sara was silenced once again by Nick, who again touched his finger to her thin, reddened lips. Nick was enjoying the situation in a weird, convoluted way, but he centered back on his sole purpose and proceeded to answer her questions one by one, as if they were in the interrogation room and not the dingy hall closet.

"I sent you the page," Nick admitted to her, locking his eyes with hers, "and this is the only place I can get to you where without worrying about other people. I wanted to talk to you about us **alone**."

"Us?" Sara quirked an eyebrow at him, sending Nick's determined resolve to waiver in the depths of the dank, smelly room.

"Yes, us. I need to know about you and me."

Nick stepped back as far as he could from the girl who had been pushing his buttons all night, but it only amounted to a few meager inches. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the soft sable ribbon, his only evidence shining in the dim light. Sara's eyes widened as he gently grasped her right wrist and slowly placed the ribbon on the palm of her hand. She stared at it for a moment, and looked at him, searching his face for something to say.

"I found that on my front door this afternoon," Nick said huskily, "Do you know who might've left such a beautiful accessory in my apartment?"

"Oh my god," the words escaped from Sara's lips in a continuous stream of gibberish-like speech as her eyes shifted from Nick back down to the ribbon. She began to slide her fingers up and down the ribbon slowly, causing Nick's breath to hitch and his mind to flash back to the scene that occurred the previous night at the front door of his apartment. _She remembers_ was the only thought coursing through Nick's tired, spinning mind. She smiled and looked back up at him.

"I know why I'm here," She said with an amused yet sultry tone, "Greg mentioned that you were having problems dealing with a 'certain situation' and that you needed him to cover for you."

_I swear I will **kill **__Greg later_, Nick thought as he let out a large sigh and shifted his weight to keep some sort of physical poise in the cramped space without breaking a limb. Although he'd stepped back, his hand still hadn't left Sara's waist as she had found a comfortable position leaning on a wall that was conveniently bare. She smiled up at him as he stepped closer to her once again in an effort to relieve himself of the awkward physical constraints of the closet. After a moment of shuffling, Sara smirked as she broke the silence.

"But, hearing what Greg said, I realized you needed an explanation of everything from the beginning, and answers as to why I left you this afternoon."

_I swear I will take Greg out for **breakfast **later_, Nick thought as he looked deep into Sara's eyes again, confident he could finally figure out the mystery of her disappearance.

"Since I've come to Vegas, my entire life has been caught in this shroud of work. I've spent my whole life without play, and two nights ago I decided I was going to do something about it." Sara bit her lip as she clenched the ribbon in one hand and supported the other on Nick's shoulder.

"So, how do I come into the picture?" Nick raised his eyebrows in confusion. He'd been inhaling the bleach fumes for so long that his mind wasn't working as well as it should've been. Either that or it was Sara's hand tracing small, nervous circles on his shoulder that drove his mind to thoughts other than his present state. He hadn't decided which.

"Well," Sara sighed slowly, preparing her confession, "I'd heard you talking with Warrick about how you were going to be spending the evening with your friend over at the Palms. And, I decided that last night was going to be the night that I finally get to do something outside of work. I told Grissom I was taking the day off, and I just went for it."

"But," Nick inquired, "Why me?"

Sara let out a low giggle before inhaling deeply.

"Because," Sara replied, "I can't help but finding you attractive. I like you, Nick. And, I figured that if I'm going to go out and live life to the fullest, I might as well go all the way with it. I was tired of hiding in the shadows, and I've learned with my previous love-life experiences that I need to be aggressive. I've always found you sexy, Nick. I just…needed the right time to express it."

"Sara," Nick choked. He couldn't believe what she'd just admitted. Feeling dizzy and smug, Nick continued to question her.

"If you like me, then why did you leave this afternoon without so much as a 'See you at work later'?"

"Because I was afraid of what would happen, I guess," Sara bit her lip and began to glance around the room in an effort to avoid Nick's fiery gaze, "I felt like I'd…I don't know…taken advantage of you or something. I know it sounds crazy, but I didn't want to wreck what we had. And, well, I wasn't sure that everything was mutual."

"Sara," Nick said dryly, "I thought you would've known by the third or fourth wave of our…encounters that I was serious." Nick smiled at her, attempting to assure her that he wasn't joking.

"I know, but, I'm not always like that Nick," Sara's voice took a serious tone, causing Nick to snap into rapt attention and listen to every word that came pouring out of her mouth, "I'm not always this…temptress. I'm a science nerd, and I'm unorganized and I eat too much takeout and I work too hard."

"I know all of that, Sara," Nick stated, "I find you just as amazing with messy hair and a lab coat as you are in that tight black dress."

Nick took the opportunity to lean closer, pinning Sara to the wall that she had been resting on.

"Sara," Nick said softly in her ear, feeling the shivers running down her spine, "I've always found you **unbelievably **sexy. It just took me last night to realize that everything I want I can have. And, I want** you**."

With that, Sara proceeded to grab Nick by the his shirt and fused her lips with his in a kiss so passionate that it would have put all the other kisses they had shared the previous night to shame. Nick immediately responded, grabbing her waist tighter, relishing the feeling of their bodies together.

Sara's hands snaked through his hair as Nick felt her smile against their kisses. Effortlessly, their kisses became deeper and deeper as hot tongues clashed and bodies moved as close as they could together without toppling anything over in the unruly closet. Sara shuddered as Nick began a trail of kisses from her ear down to her collarbone, urging her to call out his name so the whole lab would know of their intimate meeting.

Nick felt like his whole body was thrown into an oven and he didn't want to get out. He loved the feeling of Sara on his lips, and he lost himself in the scent of her hair as he reached her earlobe, sucking and tugging on it with his teeth. He wanted her to moan, to cry out, but he knew better. They were in the closet, and getting caught would mean big trouble for the both of them…

Suddenly, they both jumped as pagers buzzed off simultaneously, ambushing them with their vibrations. Nick looked at a red-faced and heated Sara and couldn't help but let a low laugh escape from his lips.

"They found the guy." Sara said as she read her page out loud, "Wait…how long have we been in here?" She shot him another puzzled look, obviously nervous about the suspicion of the team.

"I don't think it matters, darlin'," Nick smiled, "Would you like to come with me to breakfast at my place after shift?"

"What do you think?" Sara said sarcastically as she leaned into him for another hot, bruising kiss.

"Sweet Christ woman," Nick said in the aftershock of the last kiss, "You surely know what you want, don't you?"

"I guess I do." She replied, flashing Nick a flirtatious smile.

They cautiously moved from their positions towards the door of the utility closet, stepping over a forsaken bottle of cleaner and a mop that they hadn't known they'd knocked over. Nick opened the door, ushering Sara out in an expression of modern chivalry. She looked in his eyes and laughed before walking out into the hallway.

"Oh, and Sara?" Nick asked, "I have one more question."

"Really?" Sara turned around to face him, "Ask away."

"Okay," Nick said as he closed the door to the hallway and walked up to meet her, putting his hand on the small of her back. He leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Where did you learn to **dance** like that?"

The full moon began to wane above the Las Vegas Crime lab, ending its cycle. Nick Stokes always knew the full moon had special powers, and it seemed that they were on his side in the past 24 hours, changing his life for the better.

* * *

El FIN! 

I hope you had as much fun reading **Black Sweat** as I had writing it, and nothing could make me happier than to hear your response in a fancy review!

Oh...and I have a slight epilogue that I might put up...any thoughts?

Thanks readers for putting up with my cliffies, evilness, and generally nutty tendencies. You've made my first fic memorable!

--LMS


	9. Epilogue

Disclaimer: No ownage! Not now!

Well...I know what's been going on since yesterday, and this is my attempt at making it better!

Short and Sweet, but to the point. Read and Review!

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Epilogue 

The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky of the morning. This kind of light reminded Nick that his messed up, risky, crazy past 24 hours had been worth it.

He'd made love to Sara, scratched his head when she left her, became a rambling fool around her mere presence, and confessed his desire to her in a hall closet all in less than a day. But, as he pulled his Denali onto the curb in front of his apartment, he smiled at his victory. He got out of his car and slid around to pull open the passengers' side door; out stepped the brunette that had made all of his fantasies a reality.

"So," Nick said, "Ready for some good eatin'?"

"Yeah," Sara replied, looking into his brown eyes, "I've been starving since the beginning of shift."

Together, they made their way up the steps and into the hallway, gliding down to Nick's apartment hand in hand. After their confession in the supply closet, they had made sure they were cordial and professional for the rest of shift. For one long hour, they made as little contact with each other as possible. Nick knew it was because if they'd been around each other for more than two minutes, the odds were good that they would end up on the floor in a rather compromising situation in the middle of the lab. Unwilling to risk topping his day of amazing embarrassment off with a stunned coworker walking in on he and Sara going at it like animals, Nick had attended the final briefing and then left Sara to her own devices. He had picked her up in front of the lab with her kit in her hand. Nick looked at his brunette coworker-turned-lover, and noticed that she was still carrying her kit with her.

"Sar? Why are you still carrying your field kit? We're just going into my house." Nick looked at her with a partially confused, partially amused expression that drove Sara to let out a low giggle and stop in the middle of the hallway, setting down her metal case. She cleared her throat and began to explain folding her arms in a protective stance.

"Well, I have some extra case files in here just in case. You never know when you're able to do work." She smiled at him and picked her CSI ammunition back up, swinging it in her left hand.

_Well, if things go my way, you won't have any time to do anything of the kind_, Nick thought to himself as they reached the door to his apartment. This time, the locks were no problem as the door swung open with a perfect ease. Nick smiled at his small yet gratifying accomplishment; things were going his way and he was going to enjoy it for all that it was worth.

"So," Nick said as he made a beeline to the refrigerator, prepared to give Sara the best breakfast she'd ever had, "I'm thinking pancakes myself…."

"Pancakes sound nice," Sara replied, surveying Nick's apartment, taking a good long look at it in the daylight, "Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

"Sar, do you have to ask?" He turned to her and smiled, opening the door to his packed refrigerator. He rooted around the jars of pickles sent by his mother to find the lone carton of eggs in the back.

"Now, I think I have some strawberries down in the cupboard if I could—" Suddenly, Nick stopped his breakfast ramblings and took a long look at the doorway to his bedroom.

Staring him down was Sara, her blue bra and panties covered by her own lab coat. Tugging at it, Sara unwittingly drew Nick's attention to her long toned legs. He couldn't help but give her a slow once over, and licked his lips. She'd placed her hair in a disheveled, messy bun, and continued to tug at the coat, signifying that she didn't want it on for much longer.

"Did I hear correctly that messy hair and a lab coat turns you on?" Sara purred out in the sex-laced voice Nick remembered from the previous night.

Nick stood frozen, his hands released and he dropped his entire carton with eggs. Hitting with the soft crack of eggshells, Sara made a mock wince and slid toward him.

"You know, Nick, if you keep dropping food products every time you're surprised to see me, you might be spending a whole lot more at the grocery store later."

Hovering close to him now, Nick couldn't help but suppress a huge smile.

"As long as it doesn't take me away from you."

With that he lifted Sara up and threw her over his shoulder. She resisted, squealing, but Nick just began to spin her around and laugh playfully.

"Now, darlin', do you want to know what your lab coat does to me?" Nick asked in a playful yet husky tone.

"Oh gosh Nick I swear if you drop me!" Sara squealed again as Nick threw her up in the air a little ways just to rattle her.

"I said, do you want to know what your lab coat does to me?"

"_Always_."

With that, Nick carried his lovely hostage down the hall and to his bedroom door. He laughed, and proceeded to kick the door shut, forcing Sara to scream from her vantagepoint.

Currently occupied, Nick hadn't realized his phone rang. The whir of the answering machine kicked in, sending the caller a voice message followed by the signaling beep.

"Hey Nicky!" Jay whooped from the phone, obviously happy, "I just wanted to tell you that I've had a totally rockin' time partying it up with you this weekend. Hope is all going well with that fine lab chick, and if it's not, can I get her phone number? Just kidding, man! I actually wanted to call and tell you that Tisha and I tied the knot last night. I know, I know, how can the Jay-man settle down? But, she's amazing…and that body…. Anyway, call me up and don't forget to expect another gnarly Christmas card this year. Tisha will look so **hot **on my lap. Not that she already isn't—"

With that, the answering machine mercifully cut Jay off from his ramblings, allowing Nick and Sara to resume their activities in peace.

The sun shone high over Vegas, and, in Nick's apartment, it seems as though Nick and his guest were too busy working out tension from six years to realize that the sunlight had dried egg whites on the hardwood floor of Nick's apartment.

Yet, as of this point, Nick honestly didn't care.

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Story is over, but my faith isn't, so expect more stories from me soon! 

Read and Review, as it makes my heart sing with joy!


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